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Navratri: Festive hues with shades of women empowerment in Uttar Pradesh
Sponsored by the Yogi Adityanath government, the initiative is timed to specially cater to women, more so in rural areas, where religion acts as a bridge past issues of caste and becomes a great unifying force of sorts.
Temples in many parts of Uttar Pradesh (U.P.) have started reverberating with chants of the Durga Saptashati – an ode to the Goddess– during the ongoing nine-day Shardiya Navratri.
Sponsored by the Yogi Adityanath government, the initiative is timed to specially cater to women, more so in rural areas, where religion acts as a bridge past issues of caste and becomes a great unifying force of sorts.
At many places, Ramayana, Durga Saptashati recitals are happening while devotional songs by local artistes are lending the celebrations a festive hue.
While Navratri is that time of the year when devotees express their devotion to the goddess, this time the Yogi Adityanath government, keen to build on the ready women connect of Shardiya Navratri, has linked it with Mission Shakti, a women-empowerment initiative in its fourth stage now.
As per the Hindu epic Ramayana, Lord Ram had worshipped Goddess Parvati at this time of the year before the war against demon king Ravana to rescue Sita from Lanka.
Minister for culture Jaivir Singh admitted women presence in big numbers is being ensured during the Durga Saptashati recitation in temples.
The Yogi government 2.0 had also organised a similar initiative in the previous Navratri in March, but this one, Singh said, is bigger in scale and the women-centric aspect makes the focus different too. This development comes just after the Narendra Modi government at the Centre ensured the passage of Women’s Reservation Bill.
“These recitations, including Durga Saptashati and Ramayana, along with devotional songs, are to be held in all major temples in each district and the government would provide funds for these recitations through local cultural committees that are headed by district magistrates,” Jaivir Singh said to HT. The government has also issued a detailed order, directing all divisional commissioners and district magistrates to ensure the presence of women in temples and shaktipeeths (places of worship devoted to goddess Shakti) as the various incarnations of the mother goddess are referred to.
The occasion, according to the order issued by principal secretary, culture, Mukesh Meshram, is to be also used to create awareness about the various laws and initiatives taken by Yogi government 2.0 for women empowerment and security.
According to Meshram’s order, all major temples in each district would hold Akhand Ramayana recital (continuous recitation of the Ramayana without any break) during ashtami and navami (eighth and ninth day of the Navratri).
Three-layered committees – district, tehsil and at development block level – have been set up for the purpose. The district magistrates have been directed to book local groups that sing devotional songs. The culture department has also prepared a directory of folk singers and artistes and the district magistrates have been suggested to book devotional singers from.
Hoardings are to be also put up around temples to display the various efforts, initiatives and schemes of different departments for the people, women in particular.
